Through much of the nineteenth century, steam-powered ships provided one of the most reliable and comfortable transportation options in the United States, becoming a critical partner in railroad expansion and the heart of a thriving recreation industry. The aesthetic, structural, and commercial peak of the steamboat era occurred on the Great Lakes, where palatial ships created memories and livelihoods for millions while carrying passengers between the region’s major industrial ports of Chicago, Milwaukee, Detroit, Cleveland, Buffalo, and Toronto. By the mid-twentieth century, the industry was in steep decline, and today North America’s rich and entertaining steamboat heritage has been largely forgotten. In Floating Palaces of the Great Lakes, Joel Stone revisits this important era of maritime history, packed with elegance and adventure, politics and wealth, triumph and tragedy. This story of Great Lakes travelers and the beautiful floating palaces they engendered will engage historians and history buffs alike, as well as genealogists, regionalists, and researchers.

The story in words and pictures of the Floating Palaces, the transatlantic liners that were as much floating art as a means of transport.

During her history, the steamboat Kingston survived wrecks and fires, until finally being sunk near one of Kingstons ship graveyards in 1930. This book tells her story.

Dennis Wainwright and Gage Kennon rescue a gypsy woman and travel the Mississippi on a showboat.

The second book in an action-packed science fiction trilogy set on a far future world where the fate of nations is determined by battle-hardened warriors who are trained to compete in brutal single combat. "That rare book that fully satisfies me as an action fan." – Fonda Lee, author of Jade City on The Combat Codes​ In a world where single combat determines the fate of nations, the Grievar fight in the Circles so that the rest can remain at peace. But given the stakes, things are never so simple. The Daimyo govern from the shadows and plot to gain an edge by unnaturally enhancing their Grievar Knights. Cego and his team return to the world’s most prestigious combat school, The Lyceum. Though he'd like to focus on his martial studies, Cego feels the pull of his mysterious past and two missing brothers. Solara Halberd, daughter of the fighting legend, embarks on her own quest to bury the past. She must utilize every lesson her father taught her to explore unknown lands where evil lurks in the shadows. "Darwin writes violence with the rhythm and surprise of a well-executed sonnet, wedding the smooth grace of choreography with the unflinching brutality of fists breaking bone. The fights are mesmerizing, layered like fascia, twitching and flexing and propelling the story toward a conclusion that both satisfies and opens the door to the next volume." – The New York Times on The Combat Codes

Balinese Architecture is a step-by-step guide to the intricacies of Balinese architecture. Traditional Balinese don't live in houses in the conventional sense of the word. Instead, they divide their daily activities between a number a different pavilions which are situated within a family compound that is secluded from the outside world b a high wall Although these living arrangements may seem at first to be a fairly haphazard affair, they are actually grounded in a complex metaphysical system which provides a cosmological framework for maintaining harmonious relations between man and the rest of the universe. This Balinese guide takes a detailed look at this fascinating architectural tradition with watercolor illustrations, designs and extensive commentary.